


Training Wheels

by Love (crazylove)



Series: Whatever It Takes [6]
Category: American Idol RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-27
Updated: 2010-09-27
Packaged: 2017-10-12 05:57:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/121570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazylove/pseuds/Love
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt and Anoop buy their son Bailey a bike for his birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Training Wheels

They let Bailey pick out his bike for his fourth birthday. Bailey liked the blue one with the silver handlebars and a matching helmet that lit up at night. The bike shop guy helped them find one that was the right size for Bailey with training wheels so he could stay upright. Bailey placed his new helmet on his head in the middle of the bike store and peered up at them.

"I like this one!" Bailey said, grinning at both of them and wrinkling his nose.

"I like this one," Matt said. He straddled one of the mountain bikes on the floor. Anoop rolled his eyes. Sometimes it felt like he had two kids.

"You have a bike," Anoop said.

"Yeah, but that bike is old. This bike is new. Look at it, Noop! It has a computerized panel to tell you how many miles you rode. Isn't that cool, Bailey?"

Bailey nodded and gave Matt a thumbs up. "Way cool!" he said, enthusiastically.

"See, Noop?" Matt said, fixing Anoop with his own puppy dog eyes. "Bailey said it was way cool. I have to get it! What color is it, Bee?"

"It's red, Daddy," Bailey said. He walked over to Matt and leaned against his leg.

"It's red," Matt said with a laugh. "It's perfect for me."

Anoop took a deep breath. "We only came here to get a bike for Bailey. He picked out a bike. So let's go."

"Daddy, are you gonna get a bike?" Bailey looked between them apparently talking to both of them. Anoop smiled reluctantly.

"We're getting a bike for you, buddy," Anoop said.

"Who's going to ride bikes with me?" Bailey asked. His eyes were wide and sad, the precursor to one of his pouts.

"Yeah, Anoop, who'd gonna ride bikes with Bailey?" Matt said. Anoop shook his head.

"Matt, last time you had a bike it sat in your mom's garage untouched for ten years."

"Oh, it was more like five!" Matt said. "That was a long time ago! I just got out of the biking stage. This bike has a _computer_! You know I like stuff like this? Come on, Noop. Bailey wants us to ride with him. You should get a bike too. It'll be good for our health. It's something we can do as a _family_. Pick out a bike. Daddy should pick out a bike. Right, Bee?"

"Pick out a bike, Daddy!" Bailey said. He hopped over to Anoop and hugged him where he could reach. "Ride bikes with me!"

Anoop lifted Bailey into his arms and gave him a hug. He and Matt had just had this discussion last week about how they needed to stop spoiling Bailey. But since then Matt had bought Bailey a stuffed frog that he wanted and Anoop got Bailey a pack of gummy bears he wanted in the checkout line. They both had a real problem saying no. But here they were giving in once again.

Anoop could rationalize this. It was good to do outdoor activities with Bailey and teach him how to stay active and healthy. They got the pool and it had really helped both of them. Matt had lost a good 15 pounds swimming with Bailey. Anoop always liked watching him get ready in the morning before but now he enjoyed it a little more.

"Fine," Anoop said. "You can get the bike."

Matt grinned and pulled Bailey out of Anoop's arms so he could twirl him around. "You get a bike and you get a bike and you get a bike!" he said. Bailey laughed.

"What about Daddy?" Bailey asked, pointing at Anoop.

"Yeah, you have to get a bike too, Daddy," Matt said. "Then we can all go bike riding together as a family."

"Yeah," Bailey agreed. He wiggled out of Matt's arms and went back running through the bike shop, touching all the bikes. Luckily there was nobody else in there except for the bike guy behind the counter.

"Don't knock anything over," Anoop called. He looked over at Matt and sighed.

"What's wrong with getting a bike?" Matt asked. "It'll be fun for us, right? We'll have time to bond as a family."

"Before you leave," Anoop said. Matt made a face. His tour started in a couple of weeks and they still hadn't decided what they were going to do.

"Enjoy it while we can," Matt said. "Bailey's growing up fast. He's already four years old!"

"Not yet," Anoop said. "Not for a couple of days."

"It kills me," Matt said. "He's not allowed to grow up so fast. How do we make him stay little forever?"

"I heard coffee stunts your growth," Anoop said. He nudged Matt until he gave him a smile.

"You know I love my baby," Matt said, quietly. "I'm going to miss him so much when I'm gone."

"I know." Anoop said. "And what about me?"

"I can take you or leave you, Noop," Matt said with a grin. They both smiled at each other until they heard a crash on the other side of the store.

"Bailey!" Anoop called. Bailey stood next to a pile of fallen bikes that had been standing straight in a row but now they were collapsed on top of each other like dominoes.

"Uh oh," Bailey said, sheepishly.

"Daddy told you not to touch," Matt said, when they got over there.

"I didn't touch!" Bailey said.

"Don't lie," Anoop said. "Go sit over there, Bailey. Go sit on that bench over there and don't move. Right now, Bailey." He gave Bailey a serious look and pointed.

"I didn't touch," Bailey wailed. He started crying as he walked over to the bench to sit down.

"Oh..." Matt said, biting his lip. Anoop gave him a stern look.

"Discipline is important," he said. But even he couldn't help looking over at Bailey sitting on the bench crying and not feel upset himself.

"Maybe he really didn't touch it," Matt said. "We didn't see."

"How else did the bikes fall over?" Anoop started setting the bikes back up again. Matt helped after a moment. The bike guy sauntered over to them and waved his hands.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "Bikes fall down. So do you guys want to get sized?"

Anoop picked out a bike that was a little simpler because he didn't need a computer display. It was sleek and black, something that looked good and the bike guy promised it rode well. Anoop was satisfied as Matt walked up to the counter so they could swipe their credit card. He went over to Bailey who was still sniffling. Anoop knelt in front of him.

"Bailey," he said. "You have to listen. We tell you not to touch things for a reason."

"I d-didn't touch it, Daddy," Bailey stuttered, wiping his eyes. Anoop sighed. "I'm sorry, Daddy!"

"Okay, buddy," he said. "I'm not mad at you. Come here, Bailey." Bailey sniffed and hugged him tightly.

"Nothing will make me stop loving you," Anoop said, standing up with Bailey in his arms. "Okay?"

Bailey buried his face in Anoop's shoulder. He held Bailey as Matt and the bike guy loaded the bikes in the back of the SUV.

"You've got a great set of family bikes," the bike guy said. "Enjoy them."

"Thanks," Anoop said. He set Bailey in his car seat after Matt opened the back door for them.

"We've got bikes, Bee!" Matt said. He strapped Bailey in while Anoop watched. "We're all going to ride together. Happy birthday, Bailey!"

Anoop smiled but Bailey didn't smile at either of them. He still looked upset and sad.

Matt patted Anoop's bike as he headed around to the passenger seat.

"He'll be fine, Noop," Matt said.

Anoop started up the cars. He could see the bikes stretched across the back seat next to Bailey. The house wasn't too far away. They had a big birthday party planned that weekend that he needed to make final arrangements for. Matt always had some rehearsal or some interview or some conference call with the Sony people back in Memphis. But instead of getting on the highway Anoop continued down the road. Matt looked at him, curiously.

"Where you going?" he asked.

"You'll see," Anoop said.

They ended up at the state park where there were plenty of trees and bike trails. He didn't think he'd ever taken Bailey there before and he didn't know why it took him so long. It was a beautiful early fall day, all sunshine and the leaves were changing. Anoop asked the lady at the front gate and then drove to the parking lot in front of one of the easier trails.

"What is this?" Matt asked, smiling widely.

"Thought we'd take a bike ride before dinner," Anoop said. He turned around to look at Bailey. "That okay with you, buddy? We can try out your new bike."

Bailey blinked at him, still hurt.

"And we can try out Daddy's new bike," Matt said, eagerly. "It has a GPS system on it so we can never get lost. And it has wifi."

"Why does a bike need wifi?" Anoop asked. He got out of the car and unloaded the bikes while Matt unloaded Bailey. He was grateful that Matt could always make him laugh. When Bailey came over to get on his bike he looked a little better.

"First we have to put on our helmets," Matt said. Anoop helped Bailey with his as Matt put his on. Anoop caught Matt's eye and gave him a grateful smile. He knew they weren't exactly dressed for an impromptu bike ride—Matt was wearing 500 dollar jeans and Anoop had on a dress shirt that was already too hot—but Anoop just had a feeling that they should do this right now and he knew he could count on Matt to just go along with it. At least Bailey had on a pair of shorts and a dinosaur t-shirt.

"Look at that," Matt said, knocking on Bailey's helmet. "Can you feel it?"

"Daddy," Bailey said, giggling. "It's hard!"

"Yes, so we can keep that precious head of yours safe!" Matt said. He kissed Bailey's face and hugged him. Anoop clipped his helmet on and surveyed the bikes.

"Where are we going?" Bailey asked.

"Yeah, Daddy, where are we going?" Matt asked.

"Going into the woods," Anoop said. He pointed at the paved bike trail. "It's an adventure, Bailey. You're going to ride your bike. Can you get on it?"

He and Matt helped Bailey onto his new bike. He beamed sitting on it with his feet on the pedals, propped up by the training wheels. Matt took several pictures on his iPhone.

"Look at you," Matt said. "You're a big boy, Bee!"

"Thank you," Bailey said. He was better on the bike than Anoop thought he would be. They had Bailey ride around the parking lot and he was just fine with a big grin on his face.

"How's the bike, Bailey?" Anoop asked. Bailey grinned at them.

"Good bike," Bailey said. "Let's go!"

"Okay, you heard the boss," Matt said. Anoop could tell he was just as eager to get on his bike with all the fancy gadgets. Anoop couldn't even remember the last time we went bike riding. It all came back to him right away. It was impossible to get lost on the trail with all the signs but he let Matt lead the way anyway.

"You ride in the middle, okay, Bailey?" Anoop said. "Follow Daddy."

The bike trail was a little more than a mile in a circle. Anoop hoped it wasn't too long for Bailey. But Bailey was right there, pedaling away hard on his bike, following Matt. Anoop tried to communicate telepathically to Matt not to go too fast.

"Look!" Bailey said, pointing up at the trees. "Birds!"

"Lots of birds," Matt said, glancing back at Bailey. Nashville had a lot of pretty scenery. There was a little babbling brook not too far off the trail. Anoop could hear it among the birds and Matt panting in front of him.

"You okay, Matt?" Anoop called. Maybe that swimming wasn't doing as much as he thought it was.

"I think I have this in the wrong gear or something," Matt said. "There's a lot of resistance. Can we take a break?"

"Shouldn't the fancy bike tell you what to do?" Anoop said with a smirk. Matt turned around after he got off his bike and rolled his eyes. Bailey hopped off his bike and ran off the bike towards the water.

"I don't know how to change the gears," Matt said, standing next to his bike. "Did you bring the manual?"

"Shouldn't the manual be in the computer, Matt?" Anoop unbuttoned his shirt and rolled the sleeves up. He already had armpit stains but there was nothing he could do about that.

Bailey squealed from near the water. "A frog!" he said. "There's a frog!"

Anoop walked over and crouched beside Bailey. He looked where he was pointing.

"Oh, you did find a frog," Anoop said. "Look at that. A real frog. It's just like your stuffed one!"

"A frog, Daddy," Bailey said, patting his shoulder. They both watched the frog. It was sitting on the dirt near the edge of the water, breathing rather quietly. Anoop had an idea. He edged just a little bit closer and waited. Then when he had the perfect position and had gather up enough nerve he quickly grabbed it. He was honestly surprised when he actually snatched the frog up in his hands. It felt soft and crunchy at the same time, firmly pressed between his hands. Bailey was staring at him with wide eyes.

"Daddy!" Bailey said, jumping to his feet. "Daddy got a frog. Daddy!" He looked back at Matt. "Daddy got a frog, Daddy. Daddy got a frog!"

Anoop laughed. The frog squirmed desperately in his hands. It probably peed on him. Anoop had never been the frog catching type but here he was, probably catching a dozen diseases just for Bailey's amusement.

"Touch it, Bailey," he said. "It's slimy."

Bailey laughed, prancing around, obviously excited. Matt came over and froze when he saw the frog.

"What are you _doing_ , Noop?" Matt exclaimed. "Gross!"

"Daddy got a frog," Bailey sing-songed. He finally calmed down to come close enough to Anoop to touch the frog's head. He grinned, touching it hesitantly.

"Cold frog!" he said, giggling.

"We should get Daddy to hold it," Anoop said. He turned to Matt.

"No, no, no," Matt said. "I'm not touching that. Are you crazy, Anoop? No."

"Hold it, Daddy," Bailey said.

"Hold it," Anoop said. Matt stepped back as Anoop stepped closer.

"No," Matt said. Anoop held the frog out. Matt turned around and started running away so Anoop had to chase him. They ran around the bikes until Anoop trapped Matt up against a tree.

"Touch it," Anoop said, laughing.

"No," Matt said, backing himself up against the tree.

"You know you want to," Anoop said. "You like to touch it."

"Noop, are we talking about that nasty frog?" Matt asked. They both laughed. Anoop was scared he was suffocating the frog in his hands so he finally let it be free. Then he kissed Matt and wiped his hands on Matt's jeans.

"Ugh, Anoop!" Matt said, pushing him away. "I hate you."

"I have frog hands!" Anoop said. He turned to chase Bailey around so he could tickle him until he was breathless, squirmy mess on the ground.

"Okay, okay," Matt said. "I figured my gears out."

Anoop pulled Bailey up to to his feet, still laughing. Bailey hugged Anoop's legs.

"I love you, Daddy," Bailey said.

"I love you, too, Bailey," Anoop said.

They got back on their bikes and followed the rest of the path around easily. Anoop felt invigorated when they got back to the car. Matt was right. Getting the bikes was a good idea. Bailey was all smiles.

"I love my bike!" he declared once he got off it.

"I used to love my jeans," Matt said. "But SOMEONE ruined them."

Anoop rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you love you bike, buddy," he said.

"Me too, Bee," Matt said. "We want you to be happy. Our birthday boy is so special. We're going to have the best fourth birthday ever!"

Bailey smiled shyly. Anoop buckled him up in the back and kissed his forehead.

"Hey, baby," Anoop said, speaking to Bailey, quietly. "Don't be scared to tell me things, okay? You can tell me anything."

He wasn't sure if Bailey understood what he was saying exactly but he smiled. Anoop kissed his temple.

"I love you so much," Anoop said. Bailey grabbed Anoop's face and kissed him on the lips.

"Love you, Daddy!" he said, brightly. Anoop's heart clenched the same way it did every time he heard Bailey say that. He ruffled Bailey's hair and then closed the door.

"You're going to get it when we get home," Matt said, scratching at his jeans. "You ruined my favorite jeans."

"Oh you got those last week," Anoop said. "We'll get them dry cleaned."

"I haven't even broken them in yet!" Matt said. "You owe me."

"What does this punishment involve?" Anoop asked as he started the car.

"I was thinking handcuffs," Matt said. He grinned. Anoop shook his head.

"Not in front of the baby," he said.

"You can also make it up to me by cooking dinner tonight," Matt said. "We have to get rid of those steaks in the freezer."

"Deal," Anoop said.

"I want pudding," Bailey called out.

"And Bailey has to have pudding," Matt said.

"You're so spoiled," Anoop said. "Both of you."

"That's why you love us," Matt said. Anoop grabbed Matt's hand and gave his hand a kiss.

"You're right," Anoop said. He smiled at Bailey in the rear view mirror and then he started the car so they could go home.


End file.
